A passenger bus traveling the Lampung–Bekasi route erupted in flames while traversing Jalan Diponegoro in South Tambun, Bekasi Regency, on Saturday morning, January 10th. The incident caused immediate alarm among the few passengers on board.
According to Muhammad Ulwan Safiq, one of the passengers, the dramatic fire was initially heralded by a distinct explosion sound emanating from the bus’s rear undercarriage. “When the bus was trying to find a place to stop, the smoke was already thick,” Safiq recounted to reporters. “There was an explosion sound from the bottom, like a leak, but the explosion wasn’t too big.”
The bus, which was carrying approximately five passengers at the time, was promptly brought to a halt. Thick, billowing smoke quickly enveloped the rear section, sparking panic among those inside as flames began to slowly engulf the vehicle’s back. Safiq elaborated on the tense moments: “The panic started when the smoke began to emerge. There were about five passengers.”
Remarkably, Safiq confirmed that the bus had been operating normally when it departed from Lampung. The unexpected fire only ignited once the vehicle had reached the Bekasi area. “I was going from Lampung to Tambun (Bekasi); from Lampung, the bus was fine. Alhamdulillah, no injuries,” he shared, expressing gratitude for their safety.
Meanwhile, Antoni, an officer from the Bekasi Regency Fire Department, stated that his team received the report of the bus fire around 10:00 AM Western Indonesian Time (WIB). While the exact cause is still under investigation, preliminary suspicions suggest the blaze was triggered by an electrical short circuit. “We don’t know the exact cause yet; our initial suspicion is a short circuit,” Antoni clarified.
Crucially, Antoni confirmed that all passengers and the driver were successfully evacuated from the burning bus, with no injuries reported from the incident. “None [were injured], because all (passengers) were successfully evacuated,” he affirmed, highlighting the effective response. To tackle the rapidly developing fire, the fire department deployed three fire trucks and a total of 20 personnel to the scene.
Summary
A passenger bus traveling the Lampung–Bekasi route erupted in flames on Jalan Diponegoro in South Tambun, Bekasi Regency, on Saturday morning, January 10th. The incident began with an explosion sound from the bus’s rear, quickly followed by thick smoke and flames, causing panic among the approximately five passengers onboard. The bus had been operating normally from Lampung until it reached the Bekasi area.
The Bekasi Regency Fire Department, receiving a report around 10:00 AM WIB, deployed three fire trucks and 20 personnel to the scene. Preliminary suspicions suggest an electrical short circuit as the cause, though investigations are ongoing. All passengers and the driver were successfully evacuated without any reported injuries.